A Taste of Sabotage
by fauxinks
Summary: With all evidence against her, Sakura is forced into the life of a fugitive. Determined to set things right, what happens when that same determination turns into bitterness? AU.
1. Prologue

A Taste of Sabotage

Prologue

_Breathe. _

_Don't think. _

_Breathe. _

The scenery passed her in a blur of browns and greens as the morning sun began peeking over the leaves in golden rays. What should've been comforting, instead hurt her bloodshot eyes and made her curse the fact that morning had come. The birds were silent, letting her erratic heartbeat pound tauntingly in her ears and breathing was beginning to feel like fire in her chest.

_Don't think._

The dirty journal crinkled in Sakura's tight grip as she leapt off the thick tree branch, keeping her eyes forward and her mind focused.

_Breathe._

She kept tabs on the erratic chakra signatures that were no more than fifty yards behind her and a mix of desperation and nausea filled her, settling heavy in her gut. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" She whispered and two clones appeared on each side of her.

They all looked at Sakura expectantly and Sakura couldn't help but mildly stay at her grubby appearance. "Sakura?" One of the clones whispered and she snapped out of it, hurriedly giving them silent hand directions. The four of them nodded, turning on their heels and going in their separate designated directions.

_That should give me enough time._

Sakura dived off to the right, landing heavily on the forest floor. Despite having wanted more Ninjutsu talent for years, it had become very apparent within her training that she specialized in Medical Ninjutsu, Taijustu, and light Genjutsu. By the time she turned twenty-two she knew there was no way around it.

Silently she ran along the forest floor, watching each tree trunk carefully as she passed them with attentive eyes. _Come on, come on, there's got to be something!_

When she felt no chakra signatures anymore she knew her clones were doing their job and she silently thanked them for buying her more time. _There!_ For the first time since yesterday Sakura smiled, cutting swiftly to the right. She leaned back on her heels when she got close enough, sliding in the dewy grass into the large nature-made hole in the trunk.

Her feet hit the back of the tree with a soft _thunk_ and she laid there, water soaking the back of her sweaty shirt pleasantly, breathing heavily. Sakura groaned, her head hitting the grass and she allowed some semblance of rest to her aching body since 4 A.M.

Her limbs were sore and had twitches in them that were never usually there. "I am _not _sixteen anymore." She groaned woefully, feeling quite old.

_Twenty-two is not old_! Her inner self berated her, reminding her she had been running since four A.M. without rest. No ninja training in the world could prepare a body for that kind of physical stress.

Sakura sighed, closing her eyes as the sound of birds began to filter through her ears over the sound of her heartbeat. Laying there, she felt lulled into a sense of calm. The serenity of the forest; the light breeze coming through the air and the soft scampering of forest animals contrasted horribly with the ache in her bones and the urgency of her instincts that, even now, urged her to run.

_Why did it have to come to this? _She wondered, trying for the umpteenth time to think back to when it started. Thinking, maybe, she could pinpoint the exact moment where she _royally messed up._ But all she got was a headache and fuzzy details and the firm voice that told her _you did not mess up. It wasn't you._

Sakura groaned, sitting up. There was no time to think about the past. She opened the hand that held the pocket sized journal, grabbing a pen out of her back pouch. She flipped to an empty page. The last page.

Taking a deep breath, she started writing.

x

_Crack!_

Sakura whipped her head around, warily watching the opening. Quickly, she scribbled one more thing on the back of the last page and shut the journal. Crawling to the dimmest corner she dug a shallow hole, placing it inside and covering it.

_Snap!_

She jumped, her heart rate picking up speed as terror tore through her. It had been fifteen minutes since she stopped. The clones were definitely defeated by now, but how could they have caught up so quickly? It would've give them a 20 minute lag if her clones really did their job so it was physically impossible for them to have caught up to her. Slowly Sakura got to her feet, her fingers reaching back to the handle of her Tanto. She ran through multiple escape scenarios, calculating between the fact she had felt four chakra signals. Whoever they were they were probably strong enough to give her a hard time despite Sannin training, adding that she had also cornered herself so foolishly, like cattle willingly walking into the slaughterhouse.

All of her probabilities ended in the bloodshed.

Determination filled her eyes and she slipped into a defensive stance, unsheathing part of the weapon.

_I'd like to see you try to take me back there!_

A squirrel bounded by the opening, stopping in front of it to sniff the air. Sakura's shoulders sagged in relief and she sheathed the Tanto. _Keep it together, girl, this is not the time to let the enemy get to your head._ It glanced at Sakura with large, beady eyes and she swore they almost looked sympathetic, but it bounded away before she could think too much on it. Taking deep breaths she walked to the entrance of the tree, taking one last glance at the journal, before stepping out into the forest.

x

"She couldn't have gotten far. Wolfsbane status report!"

A group of four elite ninja were spread out, searching every nook and cranny of the Konohagakure forest within reach, but never far enough for the microphones to disconnect.

"No luck, sir. Haven't gotten a chakra signal yet." Wolfsbane's gritty voice said through the speaker.

The one who commanded the order clicked her tongue. "Keep looking! If you find anything let me know immediately. Same goes for the rest of you."

The line clicked close.

x

Wolfsbane sprang off the sturdy branch, keeping a watchful eye on the ground below him. The chirping of the birds made him stop, hand resting on the tree trunk. He scanned the area, seeing nothing but trees and more trees. He abhorred the fact that he had been dragged out of the Village for this. Why'd the stupid girl have to run in the first place? It just made her look more guilty.

Clicking his tongue he jumped lower to the ground, taking the low branches and concentrating on finding _her_ chakra signature.

It was only a matter of minutes before he felt a flicker. It was strong and distinct in a way that he was unable to describe, but there was no mistake. He was going to one Hell of a raise for this.

Clicking the button on the side of the mic, he waited for the click as they were connected. "20 meters from target, Taipan, I can feel her. Request to detain target if spotted."

"Request granted. Take her down. Do not kill unless your life is threatened. Komodo, Tse, go find Wolfsbane. _**Do**__**not let her leave this Village**_."

Static buzzed over the line and it went quiet.

Feeling the sudden rush of adrenaline Wolfsbane grinned maliciously, taking off at top speed towards the chakra signature.

x

A kunai whizzed past Sakura's face, slicing into her cheek and her foot snagged the branch in front of her. "Shit!" She shouted, crashing to the forest floor.

Her back slammed against the ground, knocking the wind out of her hard. _Dammit!_ She cursed, forcing herself onto her side as she wheezed.

"Got you now, bitch! Don't you _dare_ think about running!" Wolfsbane stopped a few meters from her, grinning at the hunched over figure of the pink-haired kunoichi. _Not so tough for the supposed student of the Hokage._

This was going to be a piece of cake.

Sakura coughed, snaking her hand behind her so discretely the Jounin didn't notice. Staring at the ground she only felt his chakra signature and was glad the Gods at least seemed to have some form of mercy on her. She smirked, swiftly launching two kunai and two smoke bombs at her assailant.

Wolfsbane smoothly dodged the weaponry, grinning. "Is that the best you got? Too tired to put up a decent fight? You're nothing but a little-" His eyes widened and he let out a cry of frustration as he threw his arm over his eyes just in time.

Sakura froze in her spot as the bombs exploded. She didn't recognize the scruffy face, but the tension she felt eased. _It wasn't him._

Turning on her heel she ran, feeling the flickers of three more chakra signatures on their way and getting closer, fast. _There is no way in Hell they're going to take me back!_ She reached into her pouch, her fingers scrambling frantically to find what she was looking for. "Shit!" She glanced back for a better view, putting too much pressure on the pouch.

It snapped from her belt, spilling the contents on the forest floor behind her. _"No!"_ She shouted, tears welling in her eyes as she saw the only picture she carried of her parents fly into the air and drift to the forest floor. She forced herself to look away, feeling a sharp stab of pain go through her as she abandoned the only supplies she had left.

"You're making this harder than this has to be, brat!" The Jounin snarled, bursting from the obnoxious smoke screen. He coughed, cursing himself for falling for such a cheap trip. His blood boiled at the thought. He had figured she would be far too tired after running so long, but guess not.

"Wolfsbane."

The rustling of leaves made him straighten his posture and he turned around, glaring at Komodo and Tse as they stood above him, watching him with impassive expressions. "Where the _fuck_ have you two been?" He snarled.

"Clearly doing more than you have been." Komodo replied nonchalantly, his cold brown eyes following after the pink head that just disappeared from sight. "You see her first and yet you are unable to detain her."

Wolfsbane clenched his hands into fists, ready to snarl a retaliation, but Tse held up her hand. "Enough. She's getting away."

Clicking his tongue, but making a mental note to make the younger man pay later, the three moved out.

x

The yell still reverberated inside of Sakura overriding her sense with panic. She could feel the three signatures become more prominent and she opened her palm to look down at the three light bombs she managed to salvage. Gripping them tightly she sped up. Missing was not an option.

x

"Earth Style: Razor Leaf Release!"

Leaves zipped through the air at high speed and Sakura barely had enough time to jump, flipping in the air to narrowly avoid the attack. She hissed as stray leaves nicked her arms and legs, but she threw a bomb in the opening she had.

"Cover your eyes!"

"Oof!" Sakura hit the ground, keeping her head down as the loud explosion met her ears. She only waited a second before getting back on her feet and running, hearing their curses.

Tse threw a plethora of kunai and shrunken in the direction of the girl, following her despite her spotty vision. "You are not getting away!" Immediately she began to form hand signs at a rapid speed. "Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!"

Sakura shrieked, taking hits from the kunai to dodge three of the fire balls that burst into the ground, catching fire to a tree trunk and grass. She ran hard, glancing behind her and her eyes widened as she saw the last one flying towards her. _No, no! _ Just as she jumped to the left, aiming for an unaffected tree, the fire ball caught part of her forearm, burning down to her wrist and she screamed as pain tore through her.

"You're an idiot, Tse!" Komodo barked, making hand signs. "Water Style: Water Spout Jutsu!" He stopped, a fountain of water putting out the fires before any major damage happened to the forest.

"Come on!" Wolfsbane zipped passed him, going straight for Tse.

Sakura dived behind a tree, tucking in her injured arm as she rolled, but not before throwing a light bomb at the Jounin just before she was out of sight. The smell of burning flesh made her eyes water and she bit her lip, ignoring the pain as she pushed herself to jump into a tree, leaping away.

"That doesn't work twice on me!" Tse dived to the side, just avoiding the blast as it went off, but Komodo and Wolf bane were unable to dodge it.

Sakura glanced behind her, only seeing the female following her and she patted herself on the back. _Two down, one to go._ She dropped from the trees behind the thickest trunk, breathing hard as she started to heal the most damage of her arm. It would still leave a scar, but that would be the extent of the damage. It was a relief when the throbbing pain turned to a dull ache.

x

"You can't hide from me!" Tse shouted as the bright light began to fade. She looked around, smiling to herself as she felt the flicker of Sakura's chakra. "You're making this too easy. Come back now and we won't charge you _too_ harshly." She cooed.

Sakura squeezed her eyes shut, taking in tiny breaths. She could hear the woman moving about, searching for her. _I only got one shot. I can do this._ With renewed energy Sakura peeked out from behind the tree, seeing the green-haired girl's back turned to her and she quickly hid herself.

_I can do this._

Tse whirled around, marching towards a medium sized tree. "I know you're there!" She looked behind it, only to find empty space. "Hmm.." She hummed, putting her hands on her hips.

"Over here!"

"What-" Sakura's fist met with Tse's cheek hard, sending her flying through the forest and into a tree several feet away that snapped upon impact. The forest floor shook as it crashed to the ground and Sakura couldn't help but grin.

"Down for the count." She patted her hands together.

Feeling the two chakra signatures come towards her she got fed up. _Time to end this._

Facing the direction the last two Jounin were coming from she held her ground, tightening her gloves on her hands. If they wanted a fight, Sakura would give them one. She may not have her weapons, but she hoped they had better not forgotten who her teacher was.

Wolf bane's headache was finally clearing and the spots in his eyesight were no longer there. "There you are." He sneered, seeing her standing in the clearing like a defiant statue. "Finally surrendering?" He asked arrogantly, stopping on a branch high above her. He cracked his neck, puffing out his chest, looking down at her. He stood at a good height of six feet two inches and even from the short distance Sakura could see he was well built. "Your cheap parlor tricks were a waste of time."

"They weren't so cheap if you kept falling for them."

Wolfsbane narrowed his eyes. "Come now and I won't hurt you."

"I'd like to see you try."

He narrowed his eyes at her defiance, growling, "Have it your way." The man raced towards her throwing a right hook at her face. She blocked it easily, pushing it away and slamming her hand into his side. He choked, feeling his ribs crack underneath the pressure.

She smiled at him, the dirt and blood that streaked her face made her look wild. It was the knee to the stomach that caught her off guard and she dry heaved, loosening her grip on him. Wolfsbane grabbed her arm, twisting it behind her back and he slammed her against the ground, his knee pushing roughly into her spine.

Sakura grunted, mewling under the pressure.

"Had enough?" He hissed into her ear.

The kunoichi underneath him spit out dirt that got into her mouth and smiled, unsettling him. "Never." Lifting her free arm and slammed her chakra-filled hand into the dirt. It cracked underneath them, rocking the man's grip loose and Sakura shoved him away, scrambling out of the way. She leapt up onto a branch, crouching there in safety.

x

Komodo watched from a safe distance from behind a tree, glowering at his teammate's less than stellar fight. "Idiot."

x

Sakura's legs shook as she held onto the branch beneath her feet to keep herself steady. Despite keeping close check on her chakra reserve she was too tired for her body to withstand any more attacks or dish out any good ones. "I've had enough of this." She unsheathed her Tanto, standing up on unsteady legs as she watched the Jounin prepare for another attack. "I'm sorry." She whispered to her trusty weapon. In one expert throw the short sword imbedded itself through the man's leg before he could finish his hand signs.

Wolfsbane screamed, dropping to his knees.

_I have to go._ Not bothering to look back Sakura bounded from her tree to the next one, putting distance between her and the two Jounin she defeated. It unsettled her that only two had fought her, but she wasn't about to go hunt down the third or fourth. If they didn't want to follow her she wasn't going to complain.

Despite that a deep worry settled inside of her, scratching at her mind. It sent a cold chill through her, but she could not place what it was.

x

Wolfsbane yelled in pain, hissing as his hands shook around the wound. There would be no way to get it out without damage. He watched with cloudy eyes as the girl left and he gritted his teeth, screaming, "TRAITOR!"

x

**A/N**: Woooah okay here we go! In 2008 I planned to remake Uchiha Once, Uchiha Twice and here it is! I've changed this story a LOT since then and I think I've finally settled with a plot I am happy with it. This is PURELY AU and if you guys want more info tell me and I'll answer you privately, but if not then just read the fic if you want!

Another note. Taipen* is a poisonous snake. I know the code names are not original at all haha, but I felt it was best for this situation.

Anyway I hope you enjoy the remake of UOUT!

FI


	2. Chapter One

**A Taste of Sabotage**

Chapter One

_Blood splattered thickly on the wall, spreading out in streams that stretched over the expensive wall fan with a distinct gold trimming that no longer held the same value it once did._

_Moonlight filtered in through the only window in the room, highlighting the gore that spread over the walls and seeped from beneath the body that once held an eventful life. It soaked through the edge of the pillow case, spreading through cotton futon underneath him. The man's neck was bent back at an odd angle, the flesh of his neck sliced open. The blood on his face was beginning to dry, backing on his lips and the underside of his chin._

_A shadow stayed clear of the light, hovering just to the left of the body. It stared down at the man who's eyes were left wide open, staring back at him with a glossy gaze. His mouth was left in a soft 'o' exclamation, as if he'd seen a ghost, or worse, a demon. _

_The shadow flicked the blood off the blade, placing it back in its kunai holder. It turned away, leaving the room as silently as it had entered. The only thing left was a single strand of pink hair._

x

_Four days later._

x

_Exhaustion clung to the eyelids of the prestigious medical ninja's eyes as she squinted against the artificial light of the room that was now giving her a headache. She listened to the clock tick-tock obnoxiously behind her on the other side of the wall, but didn't bother reading it to remind herself that it was now edging closer to four A.M. and she should be at home, asleep by now. _

_"I've almost got it!" She swore to herself, promising she'd try just _one_ last time (which she had also promised herself three hours ago)._

_Sakura crouched behind a row of viles, eye level to the green liquid that filled them all a quarter of the way. She focused on the middle tube, her tongue curled over her lip in concentration as she dropped a single dosage of a clear liquid into it. "Come on… work me!" She watched with bated breath as the concoction fizzled and turned a welcoming light blue. "Yes! The reaction stabilized!" She shrieked, triumphantly throwing her fists in the air._

_It was a quick jot down in red ink, underlined several times for anyone else to know __**not**__ to change it, that finished the poison research that her respected teacher, Tsunade, had given her weeks ago. There was nothing like an antibiotic break through for a poison to end the night on a good note. Finally, Sakura knew she would be able to sleep peacefully (and sleep in with no regrets). "I'm sure she'll be pleased with these results!" She folded the paper, attaching it to a clipboard for it to remain Hokage's eyes only, with Shizune as the exception._

_She grabbed the cap to the vile, just about to put it on when the door swung open hard, slamming into the wall with enough force to crack the plaster._

_"HEY!" Sakura whirled around, scowling fearsomely at the intruders. "If you chip that you're-" Her expression melted into a look of pure horror._

_Seven Jounin piled into the room, many more standing outside of the doors to prevent her escape. They stared at the pink-haired medic with steely, unforgiving eyes, all of them were armed with visible weapons._

_"What is this? This is a private room you can't just barge in here!" She shrieked, standing in front of her research threateningly. Her heart was beating a million miles a minute. She could feel it in her throat and her mouth had suddenly gone dry. The tension in the air was downright murderous and Sakura's mind could not find a reason for this sudden moment._

_The tallest man in the middle stepped forward, unfazed by her words. He spoke clearly and with conviction, "Haruno Sakura, under the orders of the Hokage, you are hereby under arrest for the murder of Takehiko Ueda." _

x

"Mnn…" Sakura's eyes fluttered as she came to, grimacing against the headache that pounded in her head. She blinked wearily, her eyes adjusting to the dimly lit room easily. "Where…?" She uttered in a horse voice, mouth dry. She sat up on her elbow, squinting. The room was a little bigger than her own at home. It sported a dresser in the corner, with a chair sitting to the far right near to the door. A light breeze tickled the back of her neck and Sakura tilted her head up to look at the window that was right above the bed, covered by curtains that blocked the light, but not the fresh air wafting in.

Panic stirred in her gut and she clutched the clean sheets. _Clean? _ She looked down, startled. It took a short moment of breathing exercises for her to calm down. If the sheets were clean that meant she was safe. Somehow, by whatever _must_ be smiling down at her, she had managed to get herself to some semblance of safety. The though was less comforting than she thought it would be and her attuned hearing made her aware of the soft noises coming from outside of the room. They were more whispery, so they had to be far enough away. Kitchen, maybe?

Despite the throbbing in her head and the fear in her gut, she felt no real threat from this place and that was the only thing that kept her from climbing out of the window and running away. Whatever this was, she needed it more than she needed the harshness of the outside world. Holding her head in her hand she let out another soft groan. "Where's a pain killer when you need it…?"

What scared her the most wasn't the new surroundings, but the fact that everything up to this point was fuzzy. She remembered running- lots of it. Her body had been shaking, pushed far beyond its usual limits and after being off the field for so long it was not a surprise the physical work had been too much for her. The wounds hadn't helped either. Jarred by the sudden recollection of the fight with the female Jounin she looked down at her arm, surprised to find it loosely wrapped. Automatically she reached out and touched her cheek, her fingers grazing a smooth bandaid instead of skin.

The noise outside started to escalate and a loud _clang!_ resonated through the house as something (a pot, Sakura guessed), smashed into a solid object. _"NOW LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE YOU'RE GOING TO WAKE HER UP!"_

Sakura flinched, her hands skirting over the bed as if there were weapons she could grab, warily watching the door as she heard the disgruntled mutterings and stomping getting closer.

The door swung open and Sakura closed her eyes against the sudden light. "Augh! Could you close the door please?!"

"Sorry!" A feminine voice chirped apologetically, the door clicking shut softly.

It took a moment before Sakura could look up, squinting at the person who entered the room. "Oh no… dammit, Katsuo, I knew you would wake her up! Tsk." The woman muttered to herself irritably, clicking her tongue. She placed her hands on her wide hips, looking back at Sakura with a warm smile that held no trace of her anger.

"Um…" Sakura closed her mouth at a loss for words.

"How'er you feelin' hon? I would say that's a close call wouldn'tcha?" The woman was short. Her cheeks were as round as her belly and she had thick thighs that could most definitely kill a man. Freckles adorned her face, spreading from her cheeks to her ears and down to her neck beneath the collar of her shirt. Auburn hair framed her face in thick curls, tied up into a high, messy bun. Her smile was sweet, so unlike the way she had acted just a moment ago. She crossed the room, stopping beside the bed.

"Uh... I guess?" Sakura's face contorted in confusion and the woman laughed heartily.

"You sayin' you don't remember? You came wandering into this town all torn up and dazed like you were on something. One of the children called out to you when they saw you, but you collapsed before you couldn't say anythin' back to 'em. Scared the little ones, didja."

"I…" Looking up at this woman's face, the honey-coated voice did nothing to help the struggles of Sakura's mind. Her mouth flapped like a fish gasping for air and, finally, she just opted to look away. There was something about the woman that made her feel small, like a child again. Maybe it was the unorthodox kindness, or the fact that she was talking to her as if they had been friends their entire lives. Whatever it was, Sakura couldn't pinpoint it, and it frightened her. Her head throbbed again and she groaned.

"Hon?" The woman tilted her head, knitting her eyebrows together worriedly.

"I-" Sakura fisted her hair in her hand, whimpering. "I… I have a headache."

"Oh! Let me get you something for that I'll be right back." The woman left the room and, to Sakura, her footsteps were much louder than she was used to, jarring her headache even more. She pulled her knees closer to her, resting her head in between them as she shut her eyes and tried to focus on the whisper of the wind against the curtains.

It was a moment before the woman returned, nudging Sakura gently in her shoulder. "Here, take this."

Sakura reluctantly lifted her head, taking the water and single white tablet gratefully. She swallowed it in one go, nestling back into the pillow with an exhausted sigh. The water was settled on the floor and Sakura closed her eyes as she waited for the medicine to take its effect.

"Its good to see you up. I didn't know how long you'd be out for…"

Sakura cracked open her eyes, turning her head a little. "How long have I been out…?"

"A day and a half."

_A day and a half. _ It wasn't bad, normal even given the circumstances, but she had still been _careless_. She wasn't fifteen anymore, she was twenty-two and this was unacceptable. She sighed, running a rough hand through her oily, tangled hair and she made a noise of disgust when she pulled her hand away.

The woman put a gentle hand on her shoulder, taking her frustration wrong. "Honey you're okay. Given your injuries that was to be _expected_ it's nothing to…" She stopped herself, unsure of how to word her next words. Ninja should be used to this, right? Her eyebrows knitted in confusion, but she squeezed her shoulder and spoke gently, "Come on, you must be hungry. Would you like a shower while I make lunch?"

Sakura nodded her head, looking up at her gratefully. "Yeah… that would be good, actually." With her headache gone Sakura pushed the sheets off of her legs, throwing them off the side of the bed. There was no need for her to stress out about what she hadn't done and what she was potentially going to do after. Right now, she needed this. Even if she didn't know who this woman was, she needed something gentle and stable, and she would not ruin that.

Azami, satisfied, moved out of her way. "There are towels and new clothes in the bathroom already, take as long as you want."

It was a relief to hear those words and all she could think about was a warm, sudsy, shower. "Thank you, Miss, I really appreciate it." She said.

The woman laughed. "Please, call me Azami." She wiped her hands on her apron, holding out her hand. "Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier. You are…?"

Sakura hesitated. She could lie. Would it bring harm to her if she told her her name…? No. Sakura pushed that thought from her mind, scolding herself. Now she was being too paranoid. Even if Konoha was after her, they would never hurt civilians. That wasn't the Konoha ninja way. Mustering up her best smile, she spoke in a voice that was stronger than she felt, "Sakura."

They shook hands and Azami grinned. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

x

The lukewarm spray seemed to bring back every ounce of lost energy as it unwound the tension in her muscles and soothed most of her physical aches. Water pooled at her feet, swirling down the drain in a mix of dirt, grass and blood. She found it hard not to think of what Tsunade might've ordered the village to do now. Were there search teams looking for her? Had they put a bounty on her head? Was she an official nuke ninja now? Sakura closed her eyes, shuddering at the thought of being erased as head medical ninja and, instead, being a nuke nin.

It would be a disgrace.

She reached for the shampoo with her good arm, struggling to get a good amount in her hand before rubbing it into her hair. It was tricker than she expected it to be. Soap got into her eyes and she was sure she accidentally ripped out two clumps of hair while trying to get her fingers through it. Sakura whined in disgust at the strands of pink hair that were on her hands. She had let her hair grow out to a modest shoulder length, but it was beyond her how she used to take care of such long hair as it was giving her so much trouble now.

She sighed, conditioning her hair and taking a comb to it. Even if Konoha was still searching for her, she considered, they wouldn't cross borders and make trouble without consent from the other villages. The thought gave her less reassurance than it should've, even though this was probably the safest she'd been in years.

She tilted her head back, letting the spray wash over her hair. In flickers the haze in her mind began to lift as she felt more awake and a little more energized. Behind the lids of her eyes she remembered the soft voices of the kids just before she collapsed. She remembered the feel of the bark underneath her fingers as she dragged herself through the forest, the sun beating down on her back and the exhaustion and pain that pulled the colors into a mushy mix of browns in greens. Her sense of time had stopped and when she had crossed over the border, she hadn't even noticed.

And here she was.

Sakura frowned, scrubbing herself down with a cloth. Despite what had happened, she found herself longing to be back in Konoha. Back before any of the craziness started… Sakura closed her eyes, the soft hiss of the water spray lulling her. It was just like that she imagined the bustle of the town beneath the little window she would open in her bathroom to let the steam out and the occasional twitter of birds that would make her smile. She could see the fogged sliding doors she would step out of to see the beauty supplies she had had since childhood lining the creme counter. Too expensive bath salts and cremes she'd bought with her on money to use on her time off and nothing more, but items she nevertheless had always hoped would give her a head start if Sasuke _possibly_ ever came back.

The funniest thing was, just when she had started to lose hope, he _had_ come back. After seven long years Uchiha Sasuke had come back to the village, spouting a change that had been kept confidential and, since his return, he had been place under house arrest until Tsunade and the council decided what to do with him.

It was a situation that had gotten mixed results- the majority of the village irritated and refusing to believe the nuke-nin could have changed, while some were a little more lenient, a little more willing to let him make his dues to see if he could come back as a citizen, but to Sakura it had been thrilling to see him in the village again.

He was tall, a lot more muscular than he had been when he left the village at the tender age of thirteen, but his hair (that beautiful blue-black) and those cold, cold eyes were always still the same.

It-he was mesmerizing.

Except, this time around, he would say _hi_ to her when they passed on the street and her body would betray her as her heart fluttered when he spoke in that smooth voice that made her knees shake and her dreams fill with heat that covered her with sweat when she awoke. It was torture. And when she would speak back, her voice would always manage to crack when she would respond with a cheerful, _"Good morning, Sasuke-kun."_

Despite the years she had grown without him, forced herself to forget the crush, it had come back with full force. All the years of handwork undone with one step in the village. She had felt ashamed, angry even, until she remembered who she was- who she had _become_ and all she had felt, then, was confident.

_This time she would be enough._

Yet she wasn't.

Which was entirely silly and Sakura _knew this_. She was _Tsunade's_ student and one of the head medics of Konoha. She was respected and highly regarded by the villagers and she had become a force to be reckoned with. Strong, incredibly so, and smart. Smart enough to be second behind Shikamaru. Yet, in spite of it all, Sasuke still did not look at her the way she dreamed about for so many years and it still managed to crush her heart.

Ex-teammate, acquaintance. That's what she saw in his eyes when he looked at her briefly when they passed each other in the street. She was enough to say _hello_ to but not enough to ask out for a single date.

No matter how many recognitions she had or had skilled she was, that was the extent of their relationship.

But now it was all gone.

x

Sakura shut off the water, stepping into the steamy room that left her shivering. When she glanced at the counter it stood empty except for a single bar of soap. The realization left her strangely empty and she stood, paralyzed to her spot. The likelihood of her ever going back home was slim. She would never see her apartment, her parents, or her friends ever again and tears prickled at the corners of her eyes.

It hit her hard in that brief second. It was like a punch to the gut that left her breathless and aching. Sakura sank to the floor, wrapped in the white towel that Azami had laid out for her. She clutched the top, bending over as all the emotions she forced herself to forget, to not feel while she ran, came back in a rush. The inevitability of it all hit her like bricks. How if she didn't fight she would be forced to just run, and run, and run for the rest of her life. She gasped, shaking as the steam seemed more suffocating, and the room felt far too small.

_This is what it meant to be a ninja._ It was not just fighting for your village and keeping true to your own nindo. It was the weight of all the villagers that unanimously counted on you when you left the village. The weight of every kill you had to make on a high ranked mission, the possibility that **anything** could go wrong at any moment and if you were dealing with other ninja, who were possibly just a little more skilled, you would be so _very_ screwed despite the rigorous training your teacher put you through for your whole life. It was the massive weight of lives after lives you're supposed to protect or dispose of and the fact your _teammates_ count on you to bring your very best to the plate every single time. It was also the weight of failure when missions went array or your team broke up and it felt like a little part of you went with them and never really returned.

Sakura's lip quivered hard, feeling the weight of everything at once, and she cried.

x

Her dirty, ripped clothes were laid out on the back of the chair in the guest room. Sakura liked the loose t-shirt and skirt that went to her knees that Azami gave her. She strangely felt in home in clothes that did not bear her clan symbol on the back. She had nothing to be proud for now.

She ventured into the rest of the house, good smells wafting from the kitchen and her growling stomach decided the destination for them. Warmth enveloped her when she stepped into the room, her mouth watering at the sound of fried food sizzling in a skillet and, what smelled like meat, cooking in the oven.

Azami looked up, startled. "Oh! Wow, didn't hear you come in. Guess that's what ninjas are like, eh? We don't have any of those in this family so everyone's loud as an animal and you'll know when they're near." She shook her head, going back to flipping the korokke.

Sakura cracked a smile, laughing softly. "Sorry, I wasn't trying to startle you. I don't even realize that I'm walking quietly anymore. When you live in a whole village of ninja its something you stop thinking about." She padded over to the side of the kitchen counter, watching Azami cook with interest. Sakura wasn't much of a cook herself. If she could have it, she would probably eat canned fruit for the rest of her life!

"I don't blame you. Must be all that training, yeah?"

Azami turned off the right burner, setting the korokke onto a plate and pushing the skillet onto the back burner. She bent down, pulling out a tray of roasted meat that was cooked to an incredible golden brown.

Sakura sniffed the air, humming softly as her mouth water. "It smells _really_ good."

"I'm glad you think so! I figured you'd be hungry after what had happened to you."

Sakura stiffened. It was like the elephant she thought had left came parading back into the room, stomping around and blowing its trumpet as it destroyed everything in its way. She swallowed, looking around the room. "Definitely am." She agreed. Her eyes landed on the door and it was only then she noticed the tiny hand clutching the wood, one eye peeking out.

"Ah…"

"Why don't you come in Senko? Its rude not to greet the guests." Azami didn't look up from her meal preparing.

The child squeaked, hiding briefly before she slowly edged into the room. She was no more than five years old, her two front teeth missing and she had eyes the color of dark chocolate. Senko's hair was a light brown, fluffing around round cheeks in untamable waves. She looked at Sakura with fear edged in curiosity and she refused to get closer to her. "Hello." She whispered.

Sakura blinked, strangely sad by the reaction. If she was the child that had called out to her, she didn't entirely blame her, but none of the kids in her village treated her this way. They were always over joyed to see her, asking her about her work and what else she would be doing that day. She knelt down, giving out her most charming smile. "Hello, Senko, my name is Sakura. Its nice to meet you." She held out her hand.

Senko's lip quivered, but she placed her smaller hand into Sakura's, shyly shaking her hand. She was the first to rip her hand from the shake and Sakura swore she was going to bolt to her mother with the way she looked at her like she had contaminated her. So, she was pleasantly surprised when she stayed, edging closer to Sakura carefully like you would with an animal you were unsure would attack you or not. When Senko stopped in front of her, unharmed, it seemed to give her enough confidence for her to reach out and touch the edge of the new bandages around her forearm.

"Are you a bad guy?"

"Senko!" Azami shrieked from the kitchen, glaring over at her child.

"It's okay." Sakura soothed from the floor, her eyes never leaving Senko. She looked down at her arm, imagining the gruesome way the healing burn contorted her once scar-free body. Many responses ran through her head, but Sakura shook her head. "No," she started slowly, gently laying her fingers on her arm. "I'm not a bad guy. I've just gotten myself into a big mess, that's all. But I'm gonna fix it and everything's going to be okay." Saying it out loud sent a shiver of optimism up her spine.

A flicker of understanding seemed to register on the child's face, but it was gone when Azami spoke. "Okay you two, time to set the table. Senko, go find your father and tell him dinner's ready."

The safe moment shattered and Sakura stood up, watching Senko dart from the room and she walked around to where Azami stood. "May I help with anything?"

Azami shooed her away with her hip, holding the plate of korokke. "No! You're a guest here and, beside, you shouldn't put pressure on that arm of yours."

"If you say so…"

Sakura reluctantly moved out of the way, feeling guilty as she watched Azami bustle back and forth. Back at home she would've taken full advantage of this, leaving the dirty dishes in the sink or just getting take out and leaving the trash to mold until it got so bad she had to throw it out and scrape the gunk from the dishes that she did manage to use whenever she _was_ at home. Watching Azami set the table, Sakura could only see the image of her mother setting the table with elegant vigor, nagging at her to "help her out since she was home so little". Her father was the cook of the family, but her mother always knew how to make a great dessert.

She blinked, and the image was gone. Only steaming hot food left in its place.

**A/N:** Man. This took a lot longer than I wanted it to… I meant to bust this and Chap 2 out very fast, but life got in the way and it took FOREVER for me and my beta to actually be on at the same time o_e; but here you are! I hope you enjoy. Sorry for all the "oc's" running amok. They'll be gone eventually & the canon cast will over take the story, I promise.

I also wanted to ask my story followers a question. Would you guys prefer I put the honorifics on the names or no? Because I've been purposely leaving out "chan" and "sama" and "sensei" stuff but if you guys would PREFER to see that **please** let me know!

Thank you for sticking with me and reading this chapter! You're favorites / followers / reviews are SUPER appreciated and I love you all dearly!

FI


	3. Chapter Two

**A Taste of Sabotage**

Chapter Two

* * *

x

Sharp blue eyes peaked out from underneath too long bangs, searching the area with no luck of the desired target. The forest was eerily quiet and no matter how many times she tried to sense her comrade's chakras, she couldn't. Irritated, and dread pooling inside of her, she clicked the intercom button again, speaking with urgency that was highly unprofessional. "Komodo, Wolfsbane, Tse, this is an order for you to speak to me right now. I need an update. Did you capture the girl?"

Silence.

Clicking her tongue at the uselessness of her teammates Taipen silenced the line, heading still in the same direction that she had felt a flicker of chakra in before it disappeared. As she jumped from branch to branch, feeling the high afternoon sun on her back she thought about how promising her team had been at one point. They were a group of ninja from the year just before Sarutobi died. The four of them had been on many missions together since then. They had seen lots of things and fought for the right of their country, but now they all seemed to be lacking something. Maybe they were just getting old.

"Taipen…"

She stopped, standing at full height as she glanced around slowly. Her heart clenched as nothing moved. A light breeze tickled her neck, ruffling her hair and the trees around her, making them whisper in wordless ways that made her wonder if her mind was playing tricks on her. The scamper of a squirrel made her whirl around, hopeful, but disappointment quickly took its place. _Now is not the time to go crazy._ She berated herself, leaping easily to the next branch. She lingered there, listening for anything out of the ordinary, just in case.

"Tai…. pen…"

The Jounin's heart lurched into her throat and her attention snapped to the rustling of leaves below her. She easily jumped to the ground, landing softly in the grass. The sight before her made her eyes widen and she all but ran forward. "Komodo!" He was hunched over, bracing his weight on the tree he was standing by while his hand held to his side. He stumbled, keeling over just as Taipen reached him, slowly lowering the both of them to the ground. "Shit…" She mumbled. A large gash was sliced over his eye, dripping down his cheek, but the blood flow seemed to start to slow. Taipen gently touched around the wound and Komodo's breathing shuddered.

"What happened? Komodo tell me what happened. Where's Wolfsbane and Tse?" The flurry of questions spilled from her mouth too urgently, with too much emotion, but it was only them and Taipen couldn't bring herself to care. She cradled him awkwardly in her lap, brushing back fiery red hair away from his cut.

Komodo shuddered in her grip, his eyelids fluttered. "The girl… got away." He wheezed quietly.

Taipen's eyes widened. She got away? They weren't the most Elite group in Konohagakure, sure, but they were still upstanding shinobi. There was no _way_ she could've gotten away. She didn't care if she was the apprentice to Tsunade, they were many and she was only one. Tsking again her expression hardened, hardly noticing that her teammate could not look her in the eyes. "We gotta get you to medical care." She said firmly, shifting to get up. A rough hand grabbed her shoulder, forcing her to stay.

"Not yet."

Taipen looked at him quizzically. "What? Are you insane? There's nothing more important than getting you medical treatment-"

"They're dead."

The words seized her like a rope, her breath catching in her throat. _There's no way…_ Komodo watched the mixed emotions flicker on her face. She stared back, searching his eyes for anything. _Any_ glimmer that might tell her that he was lying to her, but there was none. There were no jokes or glints of uncertainty in his steely black eyes. "No…" She pressed a hand to her mouth, fighting back tears. Taipen had seen many people die in her lifetime, but never had she lost a teammate under her command.

Before anything else could be spoken, Komodo's eyes rolled back into his head and he went limp in her arms.

"Komodo?!" Taipen touched the side of his face, feeling the clamminess of his skin. "Damnit!"

x

The floorboards creaked insistently as feet continuously passed over the same soft spot with no care to the neighbors below who had been dealing with the noise for the past two hours. Uzumaki Naruto chewed at the raw skin of his thumb, his eyebrows knitted and forehead creased to the point where it looked painful. His mind rattled with thoughts and scenarios of the last few months, but the more he thought the more frustrated he became. _It's a lie._ _It can't be true, it's a lie. I must have just been seeing things! _ He thought to himself, irritated when the thoughts didn't reassure him.

He stopped in the middle of the hall, weaving his fingers frustratedly through his unkept hair. The beginnings of a headache pulsed at his temples and he groaned.

Part of him still didn't- _couldn't_ believe what was happening. He remembered the first time he had laid eyes on his pink-haired teammate. She was so beautiful to him with her long hair and bright green eyes. It had always reminded him of a cat during a late summer, basking in the dwindling sunset heat. Even when she was angry. She was so smart, too, which was just a bonus in his book. The crush had been instant and even after so long had trouble going away, even though he knew he stood no chance.

Naruto smiled to himself, chuckling softly at the memories. Since then, he'd like to think they had become some sort of friends. Through all of the missions and training, even when they had gone their separate ways to train with the Sannin. Naruto had always considered that that is what strengthen the bond between him and Sakura.

But now he didn't know what to think.

_**You saw what you saw. Why are you doubting your own two eyes? **_ The familiar, sinister voice rumbled in his mind.

Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose exasperatedly. _Why's it matter to you all of a sudden?_

A throaty laugh bounced around his head and it furthered the headache. _**It doesn't matter in the slightest, but I am tired of your useless fretting. Do you know how hard it is to think with all of your hemming and hawing?**_

Irrational anger burst through Naruto and he shut his eyes. When he opened them he stood before the large, iron-barred cage, the murky water rippling beneath his feet. The wall torches flickered as if there were a phantom wind, bouncing his shadows in eerie shapes off the walls and he scowled at the red beast. "It's not like I'm forcing you to _listen_ to me."

The fox demon stared at his host with large, unblinking eyes and he smirked. _**This is true, but you are so awfully loud it's hard for me not to listen in.**_

Naruto rolled his eyes. "The eyes are easily tricked. That's what Kakashi-sensei told us when we were all kids. I _know_ Sakura-chan. She isn't… she isn't like that. It's only a coincidence that…" He stopped short, pushing away the unwanted images.

Kurama snorted, his nine tails moving lazily behind him. _**That you saw her that night? **_ The demon relished in the way Naruto tensed, his hands curling into fists and shaking with emotion. He chuckled. _**Your species hides so many things… How can you know what a person is truly like? No matter how close you are to them, a person will only show you what they want you to know. She could've been planning this all along…**_

"NO! Sakura-chan _**would never do that!**_" Naruto shouted, banging his fist against the bars. They hardly shivered underneath the blow. "_I've_ known her since I was a kid. Not everyone fits the bill of a dishonest human being!"

Kurama watched him in amusement. He was always so easy to anger. Pressing his muzzle out of the cage, he spoke seriously. _**And because you have been teammates you think you know her? When has she ever spoken to you about herself? Unless I am recalling a different time… I am sure the answer is never. **_

Naruto glared at him with unwavering anger, but stayed silent.

A loud, harsh laugh roared from Kurama and he grinned maliciously at his host. Beneath the anger he could feel the distraught simmering in him like unreleased steam. _**If you don't believe me… why don't you find out for yourself?**_

"What?" The question caught Naruto by surprise and he stared at the demon. Was he helping him…?

_**Don't be a fool. **_Kurama dismissed the thought immediately, reading the man's face. _**If you're doubting so much why don't you go find the answers you seek instead of waiting on your ass, twiddling your thumbs like a child.**_

Naruto froze at the statement. Strangely, he had a point. Why was he waiting? It had been three days since the initial news of Sakura's potential betrayal and yet there had been nothing since then. Not that Naruto had really sought it out, either.

_**Since your precious Hokage won't… trust you to update you and your teacher is bedridden, what better way to get answers then to demand them?**_

He stiffened, looking away from the demon as if it could break the invisible hold he had on his emotions. _They're not traitors. Maybe they just… don't know yet?_ But his patience was waning. Every hour that ticked past made his jitters a little harsher and his mind whirl more than necessary.

Naruto needed answers, and he needed them now.

Seeing the apathy turn to answer Kurama smirked. _**Why wouldn't anyone have told you anything if they weren't hiding something…? **_

It was the straw that broke the camel's back. The whispery words entangled in his already doubtful mind, crushing any thoughts of _patiently waiting._ Naruto was Sakura's teammate. He had been for years and he deserved answers. He deserved to be updated about the events that concerned his friend!

"I have to go." He said in a rush and he was gone.

x

Naruto opened his eyes just as two loud raps on the door broke the silence of his home. He stared disorientedly, wondering if he had dreamed the sound. Two more rough raps knocked the thought from his head and Naruto hurriedly marched across the room, "I'm coming, I'm coming! Sheesh." He gaped at the man that stood in the hallway, holding a grocery bag in either hand. "Iruka-sensei?!" It had been a good three months since Naruto had had any time to see his friend, and for a while he wasn't sure if he really wanted to. But now, he couldn't bring himself to feel shocked by the sudden visit.

"May I come in?" Iruka's voice was solemn.

Naruto felt his fiery mood sober and he nodded. "…sure." Moving aside he let Iruka step through the threshold, and into his one bedroom apartment. Iruka was quiet going into what loosely could be considered the kitchen.

"Did you eat anything yet?" He asked when Naruto stepped just in view, turning a very parental look on the adult.

Naruto blinked. "Uh. Not… yet. I mean I ate breakfast, but I haven't eaten since then. I was just about to go out…" He scratched the back of his head, just now feeling the hunger in his stomach. The clock on the wall ticked one o'clock and Naruto felt a sense of shame. He was usually on par with Chouji on eating. How could he have let himself become careless?

"There's no need for that." Iruka set the bags on the counter, speaking sternly in what Naruto could only imagine his father would've sounded like if he were still alive. "You need to take care of yourself, Naruto. You're still a growing boy and you can't live off of Ichiraku ramen or cup noodles for the rest of your life. You need protein." He pulled out uncooked vegetables and thin slices of meat still packaged as well as rice to heat up.

The parental tone should've made him feel worse. It should've made him want to joke that 'buying real food on his salary was more expensive than Ichiraku's', but the fact that the items were fresh and he was here _now_ when he could've stopped by months ago Naruto spoke uncharacteristically softly. "You heard."

Iruka paused in getting a knife from the drawer. "Recently… yes. I can't speak for anyone other than myself, but it's been floating around the village even though the authorities are trying their best to keep it under wraps until a firm decision is made. Her absence… was not missed." He shuffled around the last items, balling up the plastic bags and setting them aside. He caught the expression of horror on Naruto's face and smiled reassuringly-though it looked more like a weak grimace. "It's just a lot of speculation, Naruto. No one really knows what to think right now. As far as I know, no one thinks Sakura-chan is guilty."

Still. As little relief as that gave his body ached to leave _now, now, now. _Because he was sure that if he didn't, he would never get the true answer. "That… that's good." Naruto's voice strained as he tried to sound relieved. If what Iruka was saying was true, then his peers probably already knew. Part of him, a wretched, cynical part, wondered what they thought. That, if like Kurama, they were unsurprised something like this happened from her or if they were, like him, knowing her innocence. Knowing that it couldn't _possibly_ be true because while Sakura was violent, she was not a _cold-blooded killer._ Naruto rubbed his hands over his eyes. What a mess.

Iruka quietly stopped chopping vegetables, looking at Naruto with worried eyes. He couldn't imagine how hard it was for him. For every life Sakura had interacted with left a bittersweet trial of confusion, anger, and sorrow at the possibility of her being guilty. Naruto's bangs shaded his eyes and Iruka couldn't think of a single comforting thing to say. Just as he gathered a possible thought, Naruto spoke.

"I… I have to go." It was said in a rush and it left no time for Iruka to think as Naruto barreled past him towards the door.

He stood, stunned, by the flurry of decision and movement. It was only the door opening that sprung him into action and he raced after the blonde, shouting, "Wait just a second-! Naruto!" But he didn't stop. Iruka reached the railing just as Naruto jumped off the side of his apartment complex, racing away at high speed towards what Iruka assumed would be the Hokage's Tower. "I just got here-!" He shouted to nothingness, leaning back from the railing in defeat as he watched the orange and black figure disappear into the distance.

x

The blade glinted in the late afternoon sunlight that filtered through the large windows behind the Hokage's desk. It sat on a red velvet cloth, placed inside of a black box that was a perfect fit for the weapon. Tsunade stared at it as if it were offensive to her. She checked, double checked even, to see if all the little scuff marks on the hilt were in the same place as she remembered them. They were. The blade itself still had crusty blood clinging to it still, blood already sent in for testing, and it revolted her.

"It was imbedded in Wolfsbane when I retrieved it. Tse's… throat had been slit."

Tsunade pinched the skin between her eyes, sitting herself down in her chair. She took a moment to gather herself. "Are you positive no one else was there? Where were you when all of this was happening?" She demanded, fixing steely eyes onto the Jounin that stood politely before her. She was a lot less scuffed up than the teammate she brought in and the body that was brought back once she returned and it pissed Tsunade off.

Taipen stiffened, tightening the grip on her hands behind her back. "I-I was catching up to them. I lost their chakra signatures and when I found Komodo he was in the condition I brought him to the hospital in. It was my inadequacy that allowed this to happen and it will not happen again."

"It damn well better not." She snapped, frustratedly slapped a manilla folder off to the side, and pursed her lips thinly.

Seeing the Hokage in such a distraught state was not comforting. Bags were beginning to gather underneath her eyes**, **tearing at her usual impeccable appearance and the perpetual sake bottle that stayed, poorly hidden, behind her desk was a distressing sign in itself. It was a great surprise that Taipen had yet to see a grey hair on her blonde head.

"Go check on your teammate," Tsunade ordered, looking up at the brunette. "From this moment on your team is officially disbanded and you are on leave until further notice. I want a report on my desk of everything you saw happen by tomorrow morning. When your teammate wakes up, get his statement too, understand?"

Taipen, relieved, bowed. "Yes, Tsunade-sama."

The Hokage turned around in her chair, facing the large windows that outlooked Konoha. The information unsettled her. Something about it was _too_ convenient, too easy. She operated off of solid evidence, but her head refused to believe what she saw. Clenching her hands together in her lap she could feel the thin line she was treading on getting thinner. _There's no motive. What motive could there possibly be?_ Tsunade thought hard, but her mind fell blank.

A bird fluttered by the windows, soaring in the air and disappeared behind a tall building. No matter which way she looked at it, she already knew the answers of the elders. Finding evidence to support Sakura's innocence would only be that much harder now.

"Tsunade-sama, if I may." The soft, but firm, words made her look at her assistant.

"What is it, Shizune?" She asked, pulling from her thoughts. She snagged the sake bottle from under her desk and poured herself a cup.

A fair hand stopped the cup from reaching Tsunade's lips and the woman glared at her, daring her to keep her hand there, but Shizune didn't budge. "Don't do this right now. Sakura-chan needs your help and drinking will do nothing but hinder your senses. I know this is tough on you, but we need that information from Kakashi-san. He's awake and it might be the only thing that will clear Sakura-chan's name."

Clicking her tongue, Tsunade set the cup down on the only empty spot on her desk. "Why didn't you notify me sooner?" She stood, the chair swiveling around as she swiped her green coat from the back of it, putting it on with flourish. She looked at Shizune with her old gleam in her eyes, "It's time to pay him a visit."

x

High heels clicked against the pristine tiles, echoing in the empty hospital halls. The sun was beginning to set behind the Konoha monument, casting dim orange shadows in the open hallway. Tsunade was in no rush as she watched the numbers on the doors grow steadily higher. The C Wing of the hospital was one Tsunade preferred. Windows lined the other half of the hallway giving it a sense of safety instead of claustrophobia. She stopped in front of room 106, entering without knocking.

It opened into a spacious room for a single person. A small desk was placed a few spaces from the bed, unused, except for the single, vibrant, flower that rested in a white vase. It was quiet, no machines beeping in the background and the only window was cracked to let in fresh air. "I wasn't expecting visitors." The amused, but good-natured, voice said. Kakashi looked up from the proud orange book with the familiar red circle on the back of it. He rose an eyebrow, snapping the book shut and setting it in his lap.

Her eyes did not linger on the flower as she strode into the room. "I'm sorry to disturb your rest, Kakashi, but I have important business that can't wait any longer." The lock was clicked.

The worry that sparked inside of him did not show as he cooly said, "I always have time for you, Hokage-sama." Kakashi curiously watched her pull the only chair in the room up beside the bed. "What can I do for you?"

She sat with her knees pressed against the side of his mattress, leaning forward and speaking in a voice only he would be able to hear, despite them being alone. "How much do you know about the _Pink Rat_ file?"

Kakashi was silent. "You mean Sakura's case." He asked, minorly amused about the codename.

"Yes."

Tension thickened the air like smoke and Kakashi's eyes slid to the window on his left. The sky was bursting in colors of soft pinks, yellows, and oranges. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and for almost Autumn it was more than perfect weather. "Not much," he finally said, "All I know is that as of three days ago, on Monday, Sakura was attempted at being apprehended by two squads of Jounin who escaped by jumping out of the top story window from the research facility that connects to the Hokage Tower. She escaped and was chased into the early hours of the morning. Beyond that I have no clue."

Tsunade breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't going to have to explain much then, good. "Very good. Since then there have been new developments and now that you are awake there is questioning that I can't put off any longer." Kakashi's attention was drawn back to Tsunade and he stared at her, taking in her less than perfect state of being. Light circles had begun to circle underneath her eyes and her hair, although mostly perfect, was frizzy in the ponytail. Despite her calm words, Kakashi could feel the urgency radiate from her.

He cleared his throat. "New developments. I take it Sakura has gotten herself into more trouble somehow?"

"So far it's looking like it."

Feigning being busy he set the book aside, smoothing out the sheets needlessly. "When do I get to know what's going on with my student?"

Tsunade hesitated. "Soon. I would like for you to make a full recovery and I want to be _positive_ before I start going around and telling people the updated situation. It will change everything if I can't prove it wrong."

Kakashi went quiet, looking up at the ceiling. "I know my student. Sakura may be many things, but she isn't a killer."

"I know…" Tsunade threaded a hand through her hair, "Trust me when I say that you are not the only one who knows this. But this village operates on evidence and while you and I may think one thing, if I take this case to the higher ups at this point they _will _make the decision we are all fearing. And right now… everything I have only points her as guilty." The conflict in the Jounin's eyes, although well hidden, didn't escape Tsunade's notice and she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, but I can't sugar coat this. This is becoming a dire situation."

"I understand." Kakashi knew very well how this village operated. "I will do everything I can to get you the information you need."

A small smile flitted on Tsunade's face and she leaned back. "I never doubted you would for a second." Crossing her legs she settled her arms in her lap, the artificial lights flickering on as dusk deepend. "Before we begin you must promise me that you will not let Naruto hear a word of this until I am ready to tell himself myself."

"I promise." Kakashi couldn't begin to imagine how much of a bigger mess it would make things. "I doubt I'd see him any time soon anyway."

"Now." Tsunade said, looking at him with stern eyes. "I need to know _exactly_ what went down on your mission to that island. From your mouth this time."

* * *

**A/N:** This chapter suffered several large edits and I finally decided to post it so I would stop messing with it xD So here you go~! With every chapter I feel greatly excited for all the plans I have for this fic 3 Each favorite / review really warms my heart and I thank you guys so much for taking the time to read this remake!

Thank you to my lovely beta who continues to deal with me and suggest AWESOME edits that help my growth as a writer and bring this fic further to life!

I also want to point out at the layout of my chapter beginnings absolutely bugs me and one of these days i'll make it look nicer

I do want to say I am starting college soon (boo) so updates will be even more sporadic I'm assuming! So I thank you in advance for your patience.

Enjoy!

FI


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

* * *

**Twenty-seven days ago**

* * *

"Maaaaan why do we have to get up so early for this mission?!"

"Quit your whining, Naruto, this is no different than any other mission."

Naruto groaned as he stretched his arms above his head, popping his shoulders and he winced at the stiffness that was left in his muscles from training. It was true this was no different from other missions, but something about this particular one left him unexcited. He looked dejectedly at Sakura, exaggeratedly leaning over and letting out another deep sigh. It was 5 A.M. and most of Konoha still slept in warm beds. A bed that Naruto wished he was still in…

"Yeah, but this is ridiculous! We should have COOLER missions by now. Not more stupid escorting missions!" He threw his hands up in the arm, "_Especially_ since the first time we went on a mission like this as genin went _so_ well." Naruto shuddered just remembering the old interaction with Zabuza and Haku, no matter how much stronger it had made him in the end, he still had nightmares about ice mirrors and Zabuza's cold laugh to this day.

Although he had a valid point, a vein strained in Sakura's forehead and she pinched the bridge of her nose. "We're more _trained_ now! If that were to happen again it would be no big deal. Besides we're only Chunin, if you want more "exciting" missions you should talk to Kakashi-sensei and find out how you can get to Jounin." Unlike Naruto, Sakura had fully prepared for this mission. She made sure to get lots of sleep the previous days and instead of staying up late doing extra work that needed to get done (no matter how badly she wanted to) she had forced herself to go to bed early. Still, fatigue lingered around her eyes and she _wished_ she were at home, but complaining would get her no where.

She just wished Naruto had thought the same.

Sighing, Sakura tilted her head, her expression kind. "I don't even know why you're complaining. You always boast about how you can 'do anything no matter what' and this should qualify, shouldn't it?"

Naruto blinked slowly, mulling over her words. "Well… of course! I CAN do anything, no matter what, but I just wish we didn't have to get up so early when we _know_ Sensei won't be here."

Sai, who had been quietly standing by, looked at Naruto with an unreadable expression. "Fair enough, but that still sounds like a borderline excuse. Is it only different because you failed to get enough rest the night before? Perhaps you are getting too old to do your job properly as a ninja. Maybe we should take this up with the Hokage and get a replacement for you so you can take an early retirement."

"What?!" Naruto shouted, turning on the black-haired man. This was the last thing he needed this morning. He could barely stand the man on a normal day, but to have him standing there, egging him on at five in the morning was not a good combination. Naruto hoped, for his sake, Sai could run very fast. He glared at him, fists raised. "I'm only TWENTY-TWO! How is that old?!"

Sai shrugged, unbothered by his teammate's outburst. "Maybe that's your limit. You should really look into getting help, Naruto-kun, it would terrible for you to drag us down."

"Why you-"

Before Naruto could lunge, Sakura stepped between the two of them, putting a warning hand on Naruto's chest that was enough to keep him from tearing the ROOT member to shreds. "That's enough, boys," she said warningly, staring mostly at Naruto, "Naruto has a point. It _does_ suck, but we're here and and there's nothing we can do about that. So you might as well make yourselves comfortable."

This elicited another groan from Naruto that Sakura, and Sai, promptly ignored.

x

It was just a few minutes before six o'clock, as if on cue, when familiar footsteps rustled the team from their half-asleep states. Naruto, who had made a cozy spot on the ground using his backpack as a pillow, leapt up as if he had been bitten by a snake and pointed an offending finger at the new comer that nonchalantly greeted them. "AREN'T YOU A LITTLE OLD TO STILL BE LATE FOR MISSIONS SENSEI?!" He shouted, loud enough to wake the whole village that had just begun to rise from a restful night's sleep.

Sakura, who had been half-awake sitting against her backpack, jumped at the shouting far more than she would've liked to. Pushing down her embarrassment (although no one noticed) she got to her feet, punching the rowdy blonde hard enough in the head to send him crashing to the floor. "NARUTO! How many times have I had to tell you to keep your voice down?!"

Naruto whined, holding his head where a considerable sized lump began to rise. "Geez! Can't you hold back just a LITTLE?" He complained, hating Sakura's fury more than he did Tsunade's, and her's was pretty terrible. He slowly got to his feet, rubbing his head and making sure to stay a good distance away from the pink-haired woman.

Sakura huffed, snagging her backpack and effortlessly pulling it on her shoulders. "There's no reason to hold back against stupidity."

Sai silently gathered himself from the ground, dusting off his pants and adorning his backpack as well. He would never understand the interactions between Sakura and Naruto. As much as they fought, there was undeniably a bond between the two of them that not only completely went over Sai's had, but bewildered him. It was only about last year did he stop trying to understand the strange emotional ways of his teammates.

"Well, now that that is over, how about we get on the road. We're going to be late if we don't start making good time now." Kakashi said, walking past his students and out of the Konohagakure gates.

"We could've been making tons of progress if YOU hadn't been late!" Naruto pointed out in annoyance, but hurried to catch up.

Sakura agreed silently.

The walk was quiet. The scuffing of sandals against the well-worn dirt path fell in a lulled rhythm that reminded Sakura of so many years of back and forth missions. Much had changed since then. It was like walking through the ghosts of the past, imagining her younger self walking among the original members of Team Seven. A soft smile ghosted across Sakura's lips remembering the days before Sasuke had decided to part with his home… before the team was torn apart and Sai had eventually joined up. Things were never really the same.

"Ne, Sakura-chan." Naruto pestered what felt like too soon for the medic ninja.

She gathered up what little patience she had and said, "What is it now, Naruto?"

He was nonplussed by her attitude and jogged to catch up with her, smiling warmly. "What's the point of escorting this… Take what's-his-name guy?"

"Ueda Takehiko?" She replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah! Him!" Naruto had the decency to look sheepish by his forgetfulness and Sakura eyed him.

"Didn't you read the file you were given by Tsunade-sama to study up on privately before we left?"

"Uh…" It wasn't like he had _forgotten_. Naruto had stared at it every day until today, but he had never felt the urge to look at the folder's documents other than skimming them. All he had to know was that the guy was important and it was his job to protect him, right? The expression on Sakura's face told him otherwise.

"For goodness sake, Naruto, this isn't the Academy days where you can skimp on the research. It's extremely important so you can carry out your duties as a shinobi to the fullest extent! What if it had said that we needed to dress inconspicuously and you showed up like you usually do? You would've blown our cover!" Sakura scolded, snagging his ear and yanking on it. Naruto let out a sharp cry of pain that she ignored, "You need to get on top of things or you're gonna get us killed!"

Her grip continued to pinch the sensitive skin and tears formed at the corners of Naruto's eyes. "Ow ow ow ow! Let go!" He pleaded, unable to weasel out of her inhuman strength. Sakura felt an ounce of mercy and let go, leaving his ear red and aching. His hand flew to the abused cartilage, covering it protectively and it did not phase, or stop her, from talking.

"Sheesh. Well to fill you in, so you don't screw up, we're meeting Ueda Takehiko in Yugakure and from there we will escort him, safely, to Kumogakure. The _reason_ for this escorting mission is that he is very valuable to the Kumogakure system. If he were to die it would make things harder on the system since most have had their jobs for _years_ and its rare for them to switch out. I hear many are eyeing Ueda's position and it's imperative that he's protected at all costs. Not to mention this also strengthens our alliance with Kumogakure and failing would be terrible."

Naruto nodded vigorously, "I see, I see…"

Sakura sighed inwardly, "Next time look at the sheet, okay?"

Naruto couldn't make any vocal promises, although he would try.

It was dusk by the time team seven had reached the halfway mark between Konoha and Yugakure. "We'll rest here for tonight," Kakashi told them, dropping his backpack against a tree. He had found a safe place nestled in the thinning forest, but still thick enough to sleep in without much trouble of being attacked. Besides they hadn't crossed the border yet so it wasn't that much of a worry. "Sai and Naruto, you're in charge of wood while Sakura and I will stay here."

"WHAT-but sensei!" Naruto tossed his backpack haphazardly on the ground. "Isn't it dangerous to, y'know, light a fire in the middle of a _forest_?"

Kakashi shrugged. "I'll keep it low. Unless you'd rather eat a cold game?"

Naruto had nothing to say to that. "Fine… let's go, Sai." He turned on his heel and marched into the woods. Sai followed silently, smiling the entire time.

Sakura watched as the two disappeared, shaking her head at Naruto's childish behavior. Some things just never changed no matter how old they were. She pulled out food from her back pack, bringing it over to where Kakashi was placing the last of stones for the fire. Sakura rose an eyebrow. "Where did you find those…?"

He simply shrugged, sitting down with the familiar green book with the red restricted mark on the back. "I've been on this route many times." Was all he offered.

x

The boys made it back swiftly, dumping good sized twigs in a pile in front of Kakashi. "There. We would've been earlier, but Sai _insisted_ all of my twigs 'weren't good enough'." Naruto sat down next to his backpack, pulling it into his lap with a frown.

Sai shrugged, "They were all _short_, Naruto-kun. They'd be no good for starting a fire."

Kakashi picked at the branches, picking up the especially small looking ones and glanced over at Naruto. "Yes… because why would size be important, right?" He remarked coolly, going through the pile and picking out the unusable ones.

"I know right?!" Naruto sighed exasperatedly as if he were a misunderstood artist.

Sakura rolled her eyes, getting up and dusting herself off. She was almost upset sarcasm was way over Naruto's head ninety-nine percent of the time. As soon as Kakashi had the decent sized fire blazing-she realized that there was a convenient hole in the way the trees parted that let out smoke without harming anything- Sakura went ahead and began to cook the meat that she had managed to catch while the boys were gone.

The food was less than stellar, but it was protein and the dried fruits in her bag were equally as bad so Sakura swallowed her comments and ate until her portion was all gone. Naruto and Sai didn't seem to have a problem and Kakashi just didn't eat while anyone was awake-something they had all gotten used to by now.

"We don't have to take shifts. Everyone get some rest, we're waking up at dawn."

No one complained. The shuffle of sleeping bags filled the air as the fire began to die down to a soft heat. Sakura knew Kakashi was going to be up despite what he said about all of them needing sleep. She supposed it was just a Jounin thing. That no matter how old your team got, until they were out of your care, the responsibility level for them was still high enough to trudge beyond normal shinobi limits. Closing her eyes she made the mental note that if she were to wake up she'd take over Kakashi's silent shift.

x

The brisk air rose goosebumps on Sakura's skin, but it made for good travel weather as the team set out at the break of dawn. She had never been to Yugakure before. Most of her time had been spent in Konoha, training to be a medic or tagging along on missions that never seemed to quite pass through Yuga. She was excited, to say the least, even if they weren't going to stay and relax in the bath houses that were _legendary_ around the Konoha gossip ring. _One day I'll come back on vacation_. Sakura promised herself with a smile.

It took another seven hours before they reached their destination. The pillars that held the entrance to the village were bright red, and new, untouched by war and stress the bigger countries faced. The sign lettering looked freshly repainted itself and Sakura was in awe. Without the chipping paint or rotting wood beams it felt naked. Much like Konoha had when the village was rebuilt after Pein's attack, but this newness didn't rub her the wrong way as it did for her home. It was nice, and fitting for such a peaceful village.

Naruto's stomach rumbled loudly and he patted his belly, glancing up at his sensei. "Ne, Kakashi-sensei, can we go get something to eat before we pick up this guy? We can't fight on an empty stomach!"

Kakashi shook his head. "No, Naruto. Our orders are that once we arrive we leave immediately to find Ueda-san and from there follow his instructions. If he wants to eat, we'll eat, but right now we have bigger priorities than your empty stomach."

Naruto sighed dejectedly.

"Didn't you pack food?" Sai interjected, stopping alongside of Kakashi.

"_Yeah_, but I ate it already!"

Sakura placed a hand on Sai's shoulder, warning him not to say anything else. "C'mon guys we have to go. We're already off schedule from yesterday."

They found their client in the exact building stated on the file. The Senren Hotel, one of the more prestigious respite spots in Yuga, fame preceded itself; seeing as it was always full and bad days were rare for this business. It was easy to tell why. The rooms were all nice, a little extravagant, but it didn't cost an arm and a leg. Maybe just an arm, but it was enough for people to spend their ryo without much stress. Ueda Takehiko was holed up in a secured room on the second floor. No one really knew what to expect, but a man with full facial hair, skinnier than a twig, and a single scar running down the side of his neck was not one of them.

"You're late." He said when they walked through the door, standing up and glaring at them.

"We apologize," Kakashi stepped forward, "We ran into a little detour on the way and it delayed us a little longer than we thought it would."

Takehiko scoffed, eyeing the shinobi as if he were scum on the sole of his boot. "Of course, because a punctual ninja is far too much to ask for in these times." He looked back at his guards, putting a hand over his mouth as if it would really block the team out from hearing them. "I _knew_ we should've gone with those Kusagakure nin. Whatever possessed me to think _this_ would be a good idea? They are hardly worth a treaty." He grinned maliciously and the guards both laughed.

Sakura's hands shook with anger. It was only Naruto's gentle hand on her wrist that quelled the fiercest part of her that wanted nothing more than to shove her teacher aside and pummel the smug bastard right in the face, high class politician or no. What gave him the right to degrade her teammates, and her village, right within ear shot? He must've noticed, because his grey eyes flitted to her, and he looked down at her hands, then the fearsome look in her eyes and smiled.

"Did I hit a nerve, kunoichi?"

"Sakura-chan." Naruto whispered lowly, side-eyeing her.

She glanced at him, meeting his bright blue eyes and she took in deep breaths, calming herself to the best of her ability. "Not at all." She replied sweetly. "It's cold outside and I find myself still shaking from it, that's all." She shivered again for good measure. It wasn't the best cover, and she could tell Takehiko didn't buy it from the way he rose his eyebrow, but he seemed to dismiss the notion and not taunt her further (much to his luck, Sakura added to herself).

"Anyway, because you were late I was forced to hold off of lunch. You will guard me as you take me to my favorite restaurant and my guards will go back to Kumogakure to report that you have taken over."

"Understood." Kakashi acknowledged.

Sakura sighed inwardly as her stomach began to grumble softly. It was going to be a long afternoon.

x

It was a relief to be on the road again after standing around for a good hour and a half while their client ate and very purposefully took his time. When he was finished, Naruto was famished and grumpy and it had taken nearly all of Sakura's strength to keep him from picking a fight with the man, who complained about the degrade of ninja respect and how he was most definitely going to report how badly he was treated to the Raikage who would then relay the message to the Hokage.

_"Maybe you'll learn a thing or two from being suspended, or better yet, demoted so far you'll have to go back to the Academy!" _

Sakura felt sick thinking about those words. She had gone on missions with very few cruel people, but never had she seen someone take so much pleasure in riling up another human being, degrading them to the point where violence or tears were the only option. She glanced back at Naruto, who was keeping up the back because not only was it the farthest away from Takehiko, but he'd be the first one to be able to burn off the anger if they were ever attacked.

"Ueda-san may I ask you a question?"

Takehiko glanced at Sakura. He stood in the middle of a diamond formation and she stood on his right side. Her teammates' eyes bulged, silently asking her _what the hell are you doing? _ "You just did." He replied snarkily.

Sakura counted to ten so she wouldn't shove his face into the dirt. "_Another_ question."

He sighed, long and drawn out like it was so much effort to be asked such an asinine question. "I suppose." He complied, waving his hand at Sai for a water pouch.

"What made you blatantly ask for ninja? I mean, we could've dressed up to be more inconspicuous instead of walking around like a neon sign saying _come and get us!"_

Takehiko was quiet for a long moment, watching the sky. "What a stupid question," he tilted his head towards her, "How many bandits or nuke nin do you think already know what I look like? Many. What is the point of hiding, and sneaking around acting as if _I'm_ scared? That'd make me a laughing stock. It would make me look weak and I'm not. It's YOUR job to protect me and if you are unable to do that, then you are unfit for a treaty with Kumogakure and terrible shinobi. If someone is so desperate to have me dead, I'd rather be out in the open then pretend I'm not who I am."

x

Night began to shroud the land as the team, quietly, made their way halfway across the Rice Country. Lights of a town not too far from where they were could be seen in the distance and it was the only thing that energized the tired, hungry shinobi and the incredibly impatient politician.

Something caught Kakashi's attention from the corner of his eye and he frowned, eyeing the low bushes that lined the road. They were too low for someone to hide, but something about it made him uneasy. The more he scanned, the more nothing further caught his attention. Maybe he had been imagining things.

Sakura watched her sensei from the corner of her eyes. What both of them missed were the figures that detached themselves from their surroundings, the camouflage jutsu wearing off like a coat.

"LOOK OUT!"

Sai yanked Takehiko to the side, diving with him as the sharp grind of metal on metal filled the air. Naruto grimaced from his kneeled position as he blocked a deadly swipe from an axe that was bigger than his head, decorated with signs that he couldn't read, but felt oddly familiar. The bandit grinned at him, his face scarred beyond repair and teeth falling out and yellowing. With a loud yell Naruto shoved him back, deflecting the blow and hopping back a safe distance.

"Sai! Get Takehiko to safety!" Kakashi shouted, blocking them from the bandit's hungry eyes.

Two more walked from the shadows, licking their lips and eyes on the prize. "Don't think we're going to let you get away that easily…" The first one said, his voice higher pitched than what would seem correct for a man that was built like a mountain.

"Kato… why can't we just loot the next town?" The man with thinning blue hair complained.

"Shut it, Toketsu! Do you know how much that man is worth over there? Way more than looting a shitty town would _ever_ give us…"

"But-"

A punch sent Toketsu flying backwards, skidding into the dirt. "If you're done talking now…" Naruto seethed, glaring at the men with an intensity that matched Kurama's eyes, "I'm tired… and I'm hungry… and I'm SERIOUSLY not in the mood for this crap right now!"

"One down, two to go." Sakura's gloves slapped against her skin and she eyed the bandit Kato.

Kato huffed, glancing at the green eyed girl as Naruto advanced on Toketsu who was shakily getting to his feet. Kakashi, never not amused by his students, took on the final bandit as he he felt Sai's chakra disappear in the distance.

"Do you really think you can beat me, girl?" Kato spit at Sakura.

Sakura, who had been thinking of going relatively easy on the man, pushed that thought out the window as she wiped the spit from her cheek, flicking it disgustedly to the ground. "If you think you're getting out of here with just minor wounds, you're wrong."

The bandit threw his head back and laughed. "We'll see." He lifted the massive axe in his hand with ease, twirling it and charging at her. Sakura's hand immediately went for her Tokubetsu, meeting the heavy blow with the hilt of her sword to minimize the attack. It still jarred her and she shuddered underneath the weight she wasn't used to. Having weapons did put her at a disadvantage. Although she had been trained well in all areas weaponry was still not her forte.

"So much for being strong, eh little girl?" He sneered at her, pushing her farther into the ground.

Sakura squeaked, her arms threatening to give out. "Oh… if you think _you're_ strong…" She grinned up at him, pushing back against his weight. Soon she was standing in a crouched position, Kato clearly straining to try and push her back down and maybe cut her in half. She finally deflected the blow off to the side, the sudden weight shift making him wobble and she took the opportunity to give him a nasty cut across the chest before spinning on her heel and slamming her boot into his stomach. She smugly watched him fly into the ground, moaning as he lay there. His definitely had a few broken ribs.

She watched his body wearily, breathing hard as she stuck her weapon into the dirt. When he didn't get up she forced her body to move, sheathing her weapon. Glancing over at her sensei and Naruto, who seemed to have just finished. "That was fairly easy…" She remarked, walking over to Kakashi who had just finished tying up the two other bandits.

"Many people have a louder bark than a strong bite. We're lucky that's all this was."

He was right. Sakura could feel the hunger pains in her stomach get stronger and if her fight was any longer she definitely would've given in to her body's weakness and cracked underneath the lack of energy. Naruto, although triumphant, looked exhausted and she nodded.

"Very true. I'll go tie up macho man here and we'll be getting on our way. Should we just leave them on the side of the road?"

"Yes, leave them. They'll either get themselves out when they wake up and walk away or a patrol will come around and bring them in. For now, this isn't our problem, but I'll notify the authorities of the town we're going to go into."

"Sounds good." Sakura agreed.

It was a thirty minute walk to the town of was bright and lively as it looked from the distance, despite being in near Otogakure. The houses were traditional, the doors open and there was laughter from the people hanging around outside and those inside. Many smells from restaurants wafted into the noses of the team and Naruto's stomach growled so loudly that people from the side of the street looked over at them. This is what had happened after the death of Orochimaru. The details were sketchy, but it seemed after he died Otogakure became a silent land, until some dared to move back into the areas surrounding his old lair. The little towns disassociated themselves from Oto itself and prospered in their own ways.

They stopped in a less busy area, hidden by the shadows of a restaurant.

"I'm going to talk to the local authorities and see what can be done about those bandits. Naruto and Sakura why don't you two go find Sai and check on Takehiko-san."

"Sensei-"

"I'll go."

"Hm?" Kakashi looked to his student.

"I'll go instead of Naruto. He's been the hungriest out of the group and I can wait a little longer before I eat. When he's done eating he'll take over for me and I'll go eat and when you come back you can relieve Sai and I will relieve you when I'm done. Does that sound good?"

Kakashi shrugged. "I can't argue with that. I'll see you two in a bit." He put his hands together and vanished in a pillar of white smoke.

Naruto gratefully looked at Sakura. "Sakura-chan you didn't have to do that."

"I know I didn't, but I wanted to. Go get something to eat, Naruto, just don't stay out forever okay?"

He nodded vigorously, beaming at her in a way that expressed enough gratitude for her to forget most of her hunger. Without another word he was off, weaving in-between the crowds to find a ramen stand.

x

The town was cozy and Sakura aimlessly watched the stores that she passed by. Clothing stores separated restaurants that melted into hotels and apartment complexes. It felt much warmer than Konoha, surprisingly. It was tight knit. The people were laughing and smiling and the bars were well packed, but not rowdy unlike some hot spots she knew of. She liked it. She could pick out the places she knew interested her for when Kakashi relieved her from her post. Thankfully there were only so many hotels in the area and the second one she came upon she found a room under the name 'Ueda'.

She climbed the stairs to the second floor. The hotel was nice, naturally. The wood floors were sturdy and the rooms all had metal numbers tacked onto them. She stopped at room twenty-two and knocked twice before walking inside. Sai stood by the door while Takehiko had taken up the only bed in the room, staring out the window at the nightlight that bustled the lively town. She couldn't tell if he was envious or just bored.

"I was beginning to think you three were dead."

Sakura stiffened, swallowing the harsh words that threatened to spill from her tongue. "We are a lot tougher than you give us credit for." She bit out through clenched teeth, turning to her teammate. "Naruto will be back shortly and so should Kakashi-sensei. When Naruto comes back I'm going to get some food and Kakashi will relieve you. Thereafter when we both come back two of us will stand watch outside and two of us will be in here."

Sai regarded her with emotionless eyes. "Fair enough. What about sleep?"

Sakura glanced at Takehiko who was staring at the both of them. "We'll take shifts. Doing this mission on fumes will not go down well, especially since we have no clue what lies beyond this town. I'll talk with Kakashi-sensei when he returns and we'll figure out a pattern so that Ueda-san feels safe and we get the rest we all need."

Takehiko scoffed from the corner, getting up. "If you two are done, I'm going to bathe. Girl, you'll stay in here in case I need anything and you there with the black hair will stand watch outside."

Sai said nothing as he left the room, the door clicking softly behind him. Sakura felt her stomach drop as she watched Takehiko take out fresh clothes from the backpack he wore and step into the bathroom. He ran the ofuro full of steaming water, sinking into it with a content sigh. Sakura stood just outside the open door, doing all she could to keep her mind off of the client, willing Naruto to return sooner than later.

"I was surprised Konoha decided to let you tag along on this mission."

Sakura groaned inwardly. "Many girls go on missions, this one is no different." She replied as indifferently as possible, but anger was starting to seep into her words.

He chuckled and she could hear the water splashing. "True, but you are so… unassuming. All the women in my village _look _like upstanding shinobi."

"Appearances can be deceiving. You have no idea if they are competent on the battlefield or are just made for intimidation only. Konoha trains not only the body, but the mind and the spirit. A shinobi does not have to look like a brick wall in order to be a good shinobi."

Takehiko hummed. "This may be true, but what do you do? What are you in favor for? Ninjutsu? Genjutsu? Taijutsu? Weaponry?"

She knew it was bait. This whole conversation was just a ploy to get under her skin. In that moment she kind of knew how a fish felt to see bait dangling before their eyes and they just can't resist to… "Genjutsu, Taijutsu and medical ninjutsu. I also carry a Tokubetsu." Sakura put as much pride into her voice as she could.

"Ah! So you heal the weak," he said, picking and choosing what he paid attention to, "How _noble_ and fitting of a woman. Always there to serve, like they should be."

Feeling her temper dangerously spike she shut her mouth, clenching her hand into a fist and squeezing until the pain distracted her from the anger. How bad would it be if she just punched him once? Once wouldn't be a whole lot of damage… right? Just as she took a calming breath, steeled for teaching him a lesson, the door swung open and Naruto walked inside as cheerful as ever.

"Sakura-chan! I'm here! You can go eat now."

Never more relieved to see the blonde haired knuckle head Sakura's shoulder sagged and she gratefully left her post. "You sometimes have the _best_ timing ever, Naruto."

x

Breathing in the freshness of the town, what little anger she managed to hold onto dissipated like smoke as she let herself enjoy the night. Her mind drifted to Kakashi, wondering if he had taken care of the bandits. Part of her hoped it was a simple transaction and they were not roaming the earth anymore, putting fear into the hearts of good people. Her stomach rumbled, urging her not to waste time and find a place to eat. She settled on a small restaurant. It had open windows that let out the smells of meat and fried delicacies and Sakura was sure she could definitely eat the whole menu.

It was hard to resist the temptation of sake while she got a meal of tempura, rice and beef. If round one failed to fill her she'd order round two.

The service was fast and Sakura's mouth watered more when the food was set in front of her. "Thank you." She told the waitress with a smile, breaking her chopsticks. "Itadakimasu!" She chimed to herself, digging in without hesitation.

It was well worth the hours she didn't eat after finishing off half of what she packed. Immediately she knew one plate was definitely not enough and that one more would be enough to satisfy her, over eating be damned! It was times like this that reminded her of her own family. When they would sit around the dinner table and chat and argue about things. It was always nice, although Sakura endlessly complained about it to Shizune when she was giving a listening ear, but the moments she had taken for granted seemed so much clearer to her now.

_I hope they're doing okay._ She thought to herself, vowing that after this mission she was definitely going to have dinner with them.

She finished in record timing, ordering another round of food. It was nearing nine o'clock and Kakashi should've relieved Sai by now. The second plate was eaten slower, really tasting the food and enjoying it that much more. She looked out of the window, watching the people walk back and forth. Couples, children, and even just singular people going this way and that. It was normal. It was a normalcy Sakura never had. Although she did groceries and things, the life of a kunoichi was always rocky and her shifts at the hospital took up most of her days.

_But… I don't think I'd want it any other way._ Unless, maybe, she settled down and got married, but even then she couldn't imagine a life without being a kunoichi. _Not like that will happen…_ she snorted, jabbing at a piece of tempura. _There's only one man I'll ever love._

x

Rocks. Sakura had never been so glad to see rocks as she was on the third day of their mission when they stepped up to the Kumogakure gates. Relief washed over the group in waves and even the tension in Takehiko seemed to dissolve now that he was home. The rest of the trip had been, thankfully, uneventful. Although the heat was something none of the ninja particularly liked, it was much better than having to face hordes of criminals. Although Naruto had been itching for more of a fight, Sakura scolded him, saying that escort missions without fighting were the way it should be. It was easier on the client and on the shinobi who had taken the mission. Not that he had really listened, though.

They stopped along a busy street, the buildings towering high above their heads casting welcomed shadows over their surroundings. Sakura squinted up at the buildings, taking in her surroundings as if it were the last time she'd see them. It wasn't very often she was able to venture to other villages.

"Looks like you aren't that much of a useless team after all. I made it in one piece and the treaty still stands." Takehiko said, looking at Kakashi. He twirled his hand in a whoop-de-doo fashion. "I regret to inform you your mission is not over yet. You'll be taking me to my meeting later this evening and then escorting me to the Raikage's tower so that I can report the mission. The Raikage wanted to speak with you anyway."

Kakashi, who was much better with his emotions than his pupils, spoke politely, "Sounds like a plan. What time is your meeting and where will we be taking you?"

Takehiko looked behind him, glancing around his surroundings. "Instead of explaining it I'll just show you. First I'll show you where you'll be staying and then where the meeting will be."

"Yes!" Naruto whooped unexpectedly, causing Takehiko to look at him disdainfully. "This is my first time staying in Kumogakure and it's going to be _awesome!"_

Sakura rolled her eyes, and Takehiko just scoffed. "This way."

It was a surprisingly busy walk through the village. Off the clock shinobi waved hi to them as they passed and even the occasional villager would acknowledge their presence with a nod or smile. The building they went to looked much like the others; built on high rock with a circular architectural pattern. The trek up the stairs was steep, and seemed excessively long before they entered the building. The hotel was spacious and open, much like Konohagakure. The front desk handed over a key to Takehiko without a word and he led them up the winding walkway.

He stopped at room 16, letting them inside. "You'll be staying here. I didn't consider a woman would be with you so I'll get you a room by yourself since I'm not _terribly_ cruel. Although I'm sure sleeping in the same room as men wouldn't be a problem for you…?"

"I'll take a room by myself, thank you." Sakura interjected curtly, hating the implication in his voice. She glanced at Kakashi, telling him silently that she was _going_ to kill this man if he spoke anything else remotely sexist or offensive.

"I figured." Takehiko's voice broke her thoughts and any message Kakashi might've responded with just a look. "Right this way." He ushered Sakura away from the group into room 21. "Not too far, but you'll have to deal with it." He dropped the key into her outstretched palm with a sneer. "I changed my mind. Tell your mentor I'll send a ninja to tell you where the meeting will be and what you will be doing." He stalked away without another word.

x

Sakura figured Takehiko just liked to make things difficult. In the four hours Sakura had relayed the message and the rest of the team waited, patiently, not wanting to leave the confines of the hotel just in case they were fetched, they were left once again hungry and antsy. _What is with this guy? He has no respect for shinobi!_ Sakura cursed him in her head, pacing the room. She had a mind to just leave, go get food, and come back because who _knew_ when they'd be needed? "He could've told us an estimated time!" She shouted to particularly nothing.

It was no use.

She flopped back onto the bed, staring frustratedly at the ceiling. What a pain. There had never been a more frustrating client than Takehiko. He was the kind of person to exploit his power and that was _exactly_ what he was doing. Maybe not over his own village (how could she be certain, though?) but definitely with them. Sakura despised she was getting the front of the attack, though. She had been told (by a few) that some were not all as excepting of female ninja, but she had never encountered it so…

A knock at the door made her jump and she leapt to her feet, stomping her way to the door. _It's about damn time! _When she opened it there stood a tall, blonde haired shinobi. He was dark skinned and rugged looking, but he had a kinder face than Takehiko did. He smiled at her, which immediately set her at ease, "Are you Haruno-san? I was sent by Ueda-san to relay you and your teammates a message and show you around. I have already told the others and they are waiting downstairs."

It was hard not to smile back and she nodded. "Yes, but call me Sakura."

"As you wish." He respectfully nodded and she locked the door after her as she let him lead her to where the rest of her team was.

"The meeting shouldn't run very long," the shinobi-who divulged his named was Yori-said as he lead them through the streets, "If it does I will be more than happy to escort you afterwards or bring you snacks until it's over. They're typical pre-meetings. There are an average of seven politicians in total. It's totally safe here, but Ueda-san is just a little antsy because another politician from another village had an attempted assassination. I tried to talk him out of it (because you guys look like you could use a break), but he was oddly firm."

Sakura could feel her heart going out to Yori. He seemed like a genuinely sweet man and to be working under Takehiko, or at least with him, must not be pleasant.

"That's fine, I appreciate your willingness to help." Kakashi said.

"Anytime! Anything for our esteemed guests."

The sun began to dim the sky in a stretch of bright colors just as Yori brought them to the building. It was like the others; dull in color and mostly round. Rocks were becoming a boring sight and the team was just glad to be getting inside as a cold wind swept through. Orange lights lit up the inside. The front desk was made of a deep, cherry wood and the receptionist paid no attention to them when they passed. The hallways were undecorated, stiff just like the people Sakura imagined who worked and had meetings behind these white walls.

Yori turned to them when he stopped in front of a nondescript door. "The meeting has already begun so there's no need to worry. Two of you may wait here while the other two will come with me inside to make sure that nothing happens. You may not breathe a word of what you hear inside." His stern look was hardly intimidating, but the ninja nodded.

"Of course," Kakashi agreed, "Sakura and Naruto will stay out here and Sai and I will accompany Yori into the meeting."

Yori clapped his hands together, pleased it was such a quick decision. "Excellent! Well, here we go!" He knocked twice before opening the door and ushered Kakashi and Sai within the building.

"Well… at least we don't have to deal with that Takehiko guy." Naruto piped after the door clicked shut.

Sakura nodded her head in relief, leaning against the wall. She didn't even care if they could hear their words in the meeting, "I'm glad for that."

The pre-meeting, like Yori said, did not run long. Around ten fifteen, Sakura could see the bob of Naruto's head and elbowed him to keep him awake, the door opened and older men filed out of the door with no glances to them. Kakashi and Sai were of the last ones out, including Yori. He greeted them with a genuine smile, excited as if he had just gotten some great news or he was just, plainly, an excitable guy. "Everything went smoothly thanks to your other teammates! I mean, I figured it would, but they're all so paranoid right now." He chuckled.

"We are more than happy to assist you." Kakashi said.

"I'm glad everything went well." Sakura replied, peering into the room. It was empty and she looked behind her. "Where's Ueda-san?"

"Oh!" Yori's fist smacked against his palm, "He went back to his home. He told me to tell you that at seven thirty sharp I will be taking you to the Raikage's Tower. For now you are free to do whatever you want! I can show you to the best eating establishment we've got, if you'd like."

Naruto, who had been drowsy and unresponsive, seemed to get his energy back as his face broke into a grin. "FOOD?! Heck yes! Can we go sensei? Can we?"

Kakashi rolled his eyes, shrugging. "We're off duty so I see no problem with it."

"Yes!" Naruto whooped, jumping into the air.

"I could eat, too." Sai chimed in.

"Then it's settled," Yori grinned, pointing his finger to the exit. "To food we go!"

x

Seven-thirty isn't a terrible time to wake up when you're fully rested. Sakura stretched in her single bed, yawning as she welcomed warmth from the sun. Despite being rested she felt every need to shimmy underneath the covers and just _rest_. A knock at the door made her do otherwise.

"Sakura-san. It's time to get up." Sai's voice came through the door, albeit a little muffled.

"Coming!" She shouted back, listening to his footsteps leaving.

Groaning she pushed back the covers, getting out of bed and hurriedly putting on her clothes. Formally, she had never met any other Kage other than her own. It was more nerve wracking than she thought it would be to follow Yori to the tower. Despite working closely with Tsunade, she had never heard much about the Raikage. The only things she knew were generic. Things like he was a strong leader, ran his country fairly, and was one of the great ninja of his time. _I mean I could've asked, but I don't believe Tsunade-sama knows him personally. _

The inside was grand, much like the Hokage's Tower in Konoha. There was lots of gold coloring, Sakura noticed, as they walked up the winding hallway and into the only room they would see the inside of.

The Raikage sat in the middle of the room, arms on a desk that was much cleaner that Tsunade's ever was. He looked up at them when they entered and he smiled. Takehiko Ueda was already in the room, standing in the middle and he scowled at them when they arrived.

"Ah, there you are. I was wondering when you'd get here." He said boredly, hands clasped in front of him.

"We're just on time, Ueda-san." Yori greeted back cheerfully.

"Yes…" Takehiko replied disdainfully.

"Come in! I wanted to formally thank you on behalf of my village for taking the time to do this mission for us. The meeting will continue with no hitches and Konoha continues to prove to us that they are good allies." The Raikage spoke with grandeur fitting for a ninja of his stature. Takehiko snorted.

Kakashi stepped forward and bowed respectfully, "We are honored to be here, Raikage-san. Anything for our allies. We will always be at your service."

He nodded. "I'm glad to hear that."

"Yes, yes they did a _wonderful_ job," Takehiko remarked sarcastically, crossing his arms. "Although bandits before Yugakure _attacked_ me I guess they did good enough to let me go. Although I was expecting more a _protection_ unit and not a medical ninja and a loud mouthed ninja!"

The Raikage eyed him, trying to keep the mood light. "Now, Takehiko, there's no reason to speak like that. They got you here and that's all that matters. I'm sure the medic is more than capable of protecting you and a personality doesn't make a ninja good or bad."

"Che. She's more capable of giving me lip than anything." He muttered.

The Raikage either didn't hear or wasn't in the mood to reply as he focused his attention back on the Jounin. "Now then. You've completed your mission and I will have your pay sent back to Konoha for you to receive when you travel back. If you need food while you're here it's on the house, as a thanks from me for doing an excellent job."

"I speak on behalf of my team when I say we all appreciate that."

"Good. You're all dismissed. I hope you enjoy the rest of your time in Kumogakure."

Sakura was more than happy to leave the room, her blood still boiling from the snide comments. The mission was over and she wanted nothing more than to go back to the hotel and work off her anger before she did something _really_ stupid.

Takehiko walked in front of the group, the hairs on his neck bristling as he felt someone glaring at him.

"I can't believe you haven't, like, beat him to death Sakura-chan. I would've rasengan'd him into next week if he kept saying those things about me." Naruto told her in a hushed whisper.

"Trust me, I want to." Sakura muttered back, grateful that he'd noticed. If only it were that simple.

"That would get you in a lot of trouble Sakura-san." Sai said from her left.

"Which is why I haven't _done_ anything."

The light from outside hurt her eyes as they stepped outside of the building. She shaded her face with her hand, glancing around at the thin crowds. _Still too early I guess._ Lady luck perhaps had left the medic's shoulder as Takehiko stopped walking, whirled around and walked back to the small group. They all looked at him, no one saying a thing.

"Now, I guess I want to _thank_ you for getting me here. I am home in one piece because of you, but I still hope, next time, your Hokage has enough sense to send me with all Jounin and not _children._"

Maybe it was three days of pent up anger that snapped in Sakura in that moment, or the fact that the words 'your mission is over' was spoke with such finality that she no longer felt the obligation to be _nice_ (although she should) exploded within her like a bomb and her anger, which could've rivaled that of Kushina's or Tsunade's, spilled out. "That's IT! This is the last straw. I am _tired _of keeping my temper in check and since this mission is over, I don't have to! You can shove your _sexist_ views right up your goddamn ass, Takehiko, because if you say ONE MORE THING about ME or how "awful" my friends apparently are I will _pound _you so hard you'll have trouble remembering your own name!"

x

Kakashi sighed, taking the cup of water from Tsunade and gratefully taking a drink.

"Is that it? That's not much to go off of… although the threat is something that should've not happened, its nothing detrimental."

"True, but I'm sure it doesn't help her situation. He was extremely upset and I had to pull Sakura away from him. I was able to convince her the day after to apologize to him, but you should've seen the look in her eyes, Hokage-sama, I have never seen so much hatred from her as I did in that moment. Ironic how was he dead the day we left a day after this incident." He stopped a moment, racking his brain to make sure he had gotten everything. "Oh. There is one more thing-"

The door swung open hard, slamming into the wall with enough force to shake it. Tsunade turned in her seat, "What is it NOW-" The angered expression morphed into surprise as she took in a disheveled Naruto. He was wearing a simple black shirt with a proud orange Uzumaki symbol smack dab in the middle. He was breathing hard and his eyes had a wild edge to them that she could not read. "Naruto… what are you doing here?" She asked cautiously, standing up slowly as if she were trying not to startle a wild animal.

"Shouldn't you be at home, Naruto?" Kakashi added calmly. "Even though you're not on mission you should still be training. Have you kept up with what I told you to do?"

Naruto stared at them for a long moment, searching the stoney expressions of his superiors. It was only when he caught his breath that he asked, "What did Sakura-chan do?"

x

* * *

**A/N:** Hullo my friends! Wow this chapter was kind of rough getting through ._.; Sorry if anything is out of place but please refrain from mentioning it! This is AU and its all…. with this…. plan I have…. ehehe…. Anyway enjoy! I'll try to get Chapter four up as soon as possible :)

Read & Review! Constructive critique is ok, but NOT flames! Take note I'm very aware of my mistakes as a right.

FI


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